Chris Paul Tapped as Morehouse College’s 2026 Commencement Speaker
12-time NBA All-Star Chris Paul will deliver the keynote address at Morehouse College's 142nd Commencement on May 17, 2026. The post Chris Paul Tapped as Morehouse College’s 2026 Commencement Speaker appeared first on The Quintessential Gentleman.
Black News
Twelve-time NBA All-Star Chris Paul is heading to Atlanta to address the next generation of Morehouse Men.
Morehouse College announced that Paul will serve as the keynote speaker for its 142nd Commencement exercises on Sunday, May 17, on the College’s Century Campus. Paul will also receive an honorary doctorate of humane letters from the institution.
“It is a profound honor and privilege to speak at Morehouse College’s Commencement this year,” Paul said in a press release. “I have a deep respect for Morehouse’s legacy and impact on our community, especially on generations of young Black men. My hope is to encourage the Class of 2026 to carry these principles forward as they enter the next chapter of their lives.”
Paul will not be the only honorary degree recipient on the stage. Chris Womack, chairman, president, and CEO of Southern Company, one of the nation’s largest energy providers serving nine million customers across the United States, will also be honored.
One of only nine African American Fortune 500 CEOs in the country, Womack rose through the ranks to become the first African American chief executive officer of Georgia Power. Under his leadership, Southern Company launched a $50 million HBCU initiative providing scholarships, leadership development, and expanded technology access to students across six states.
Reverend Dr. Lawrence Edward Carter Sr., the founding dean of the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel, will retire this summer after 47 years of consecutive service to the College, and will finally become a “Morehouse Man” with the conferral of his degree.
Originally recruited to Morehouse by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. himself as a 10-year-old, Dean Carter has spent nearly five decades building the Chapel into a hub for spiritual reflection, interfaith engagement, and ethical leadership. Global luminaries, including Nelson Mandela, Bishop Desmond Tutu, Reverend Jesse Jackson, and Reverend Al Sharpton have stood inside its walls.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Morehouse College
The post Chris Paul Tapped as Morehouse College’s 2026 Commencement Speaker appeared first on The Quintessential Gentleman.
